Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes (GF)

Name: Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cups soy milk; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats; 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 cup applesauce; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup coconut oil, (melted); cooking spray

Welcome the weekend in style with a short stack of my irresistible Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes. As an added bonus, these fluffy flapjacks are whipped up in a blender to get kid-friendly breakfast on the table in no time. Oh, and did I mention they are gluten-free?!

tall stack of vegan oatmeal pancakes topped with berries and maple syrup on a white plate in front of white subway tile

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

While your kiddos might think of pancakes as a sweet treat, these wholesome whole grain beauties are packed with heart healthy fiber and filling protein. Don’t worry though. Even though they’re full of good-for-you ingredients, these oatmeal pancakes are just as tender and light as you could possibly hope for!

Since they’re naturally sweetened with applesauce and maple sugar, you can feel good about feeding my whole grain pancakes to your little ones. Oh, and these yummy, kid-approved pancakes are not just vegan, they’re also entirely gluten free. That means the whole family can enjoy them together, regardless of dietary preferences!

My absolute favorite part of this recipe is the method for making the batter. Simply dump everything into a high powered blender and let the machinery do the magic! In less than 5 minutes, you’re ready for the griddle. Feel free to pour directly from the blender pitcher, keeping your dishes and resulting cleanup to the absolute bare minimum.

Happy weekend, indeed!

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Recommended Ingredients & Equipment

These simple, whole grain oat pancakes require fewer than 10 ingredients, most of which I’d bet you already have on hand and all of which can be easily found at your local grocery store.

Here’s everything you’ll need:

ingredients for easy blender oatmeal pancakes recipe measured out on a white table

Ingredient Notes

Rolled Oats – Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to brand of rolled oats and the only one I recommend. They offer a great selection of gluten free, non-GMO whole grains to support healthy lifestyles for all. Read all about why I love Bob’s Red Mill below.
Vegan Buttermilk – Simply mixing an acidic ingredient like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice into non-dairy milk will result in a vegan buttermilk. I recommend soy milk because it curdles the best, making a perfect plant-based buttermilk. Almond milk will often curdle too, but not as well.
Maple Syrup – Maple and pancakes go together like peas and carrots. If you want, feel free to swap in agave or date syrup instead.
Applesauce – Applesauce is a great source of natural sweetener, and also works as the egg replacer to keep these pancakes light, fluffy, and moist. Use unsweetened for the best results.

Go-To Rolled Oats

side by side images of a bag of bob's red mill organic old fashioned rolled oats on a table on the left, and a hand holding a measuring cup of rolled oats on the right

Bob’s Red Mill is a 100% employee-owned company, one of only 8,000 companies in the US to achieve this spectacular feat. If that weren’t enough to celebrate, they also have one of the largest lines of organic, whole grain foods in the country.

For over three decades, the company has been committed to providing people everywhere with the best quality, whole grain foods available. All of their products are certified Kosher and made with ingredients grown from non-GMO seeds. Their minimally processed foods are about as close to nature as you can get, and they package everything in clear bags so you can see the quality of their products for yourself!

Not only are whole grains packed with nutrition, they also taste delicious. These oats are the best on the market, and they’re certified gluten free! Find Bob’s Red Mill at your local grocery store to see why I’m such a huge fan of their fabulous product line.

Recommended Equipment

When it comes to pancakes, I highly recommend using an electric griddle. A griddle allows you to set the temperature to exactly what you want for an even cook on both sides. You will also need basic kitchen equipment such as basic kitchen utensils, a pancake spatula and a high-quality blender. (<<affiliate links)

Step-by-Step Instructions

These simple vegan oatmeal blender pancakes are about to become your new go-to breakfast recipe.

Preheat a pancake griddle to 400F. If your griddle is not large enough to handle 12 pancakes at once, I also recommend preheating your oven to 200F to keep the pancakes warm while you cook and flip.

Step One – Make Vegan Buttermilk

Vegan buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup

In a small bowl combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together and set aside to let curdle – about 5 minutes.

Step Two – Make Pancake Batter

side by side images of a blender filled with the ingredients to make oatmeal pancake batter on the left, and a metal measuring cup removing some pancake batter from the blender on the right

Once soy milk is curdled, add all the ingredients to a blender and blend for 30-60 seconds, until the batter is thick and smooth. Let the batter sit for an additional 5 minutes.

Step Three – Cook the Pancakes

Getting an even cook on your pancakes is crucial. You want to get both sides of the pancakes lightly golden and crispy while making sure that the center is cooked. This can be difficult so it’s important to be able to get your temperature just right. I have found that setting my electric griddle to 400F has given me the best results.

Spray pancake griddle with cooking spray. With an ice cream scoop or 1/4 measuring cup, pour batter on the griddle. It should spread into about a 5″ circle. Repeat until the griddle is filled.

When pancakes begin to bubble on the top (2-3 minutes), gently flip it over and bake on the other side until the pancake has risen to about double the height. Remove pancakes and respray griddle before panfrying the 2nd batch. Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Pro Tip: Instead of dishing out the pancakes as they’re ready from the griddle, keep the batch warm so everyone can eat together as a family. Preheat your oven to 200F and keep a heat safe plate or a cookie sheet in there. Place the pancakes in the oven as they come off the pan – they’ll stay warm without overcooking.

hand pouring a white carafe of syrup over a tall stack of oatmeal pancakes

Serving and Storing

Serving – These yummy vegan oatmeal pancakes are best served warm. I love adding a hefty drizzle of hot maple syrup – because are they really pancakes if there’s no syrup?? – and serving with a side of sliced fruit like berries and bananas. If you’re feeling extra decadent, there’s no shame in adding a pad of vegan butter to the mix, too.

Storing – Once all of the pancakes are cooked and cooled, you can place leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze your oatmeal pancakes, separating them with a bit of parchment and zipping them up in a freezer bag. When you’re in need of a healthy, speedy breakfast, simply pop a couple into your toaster to warm!

Tips and Tricks

Go wild with your toppings. Sometimes I really like to go all-out to make the weekends feel extra special, and one way to do this is to set up a pancake bar! Offer a variety of sliced fruits, nut butters, vegan butter (or even compound butters like cinnamon-sugar or strawberry!), jams, syrups, toasted nuts and granola. Let everyone build their very own short stack, according to their exact specifications.
Meal prep like a boss. If getting your household to eat a healthy, filling breakfast is high on your list of priorities but you’re feeling short on time, use the weekend to make a double batch of these delicious and filling whole grain pancakes. You can either refrigerate them for the week, or stack them with parchment paper and pop them in the freezer for a super fast breakfast on the go. To reheat, simply pop them in the toaster until warm.
Rest your batter. This will allow the oats to plump up from the liquids, resulting in a more tender pancake.
Variety is the spice of life! Use this simple oatmeal blender pancake recipe as a template. If you’re feeling a little saucy, sprinkle on some chocolate chips or frozen berries once the pancakes are on the griddle. You can also give them a super crispy edge by pan frying them in some maple syrup. YUM!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make pancake batter ahead of time?

Unfortunately, I don’t recommend it. The baking powder leavening gets activated when it comes into contact with liquid, creating little bubbles of CO2 that result in fluffy, delectable pancakes. If you leave the batter for too long without cooking it, the baking powder will expend the reaction and the CO2 will disappear, leaving you with flat, dense pancakes.

That said, feel free to make the pancakes themselves ahead of time! They’ll last for up to a week in the fridge, or up to three months in the freezer.

Can I use water instead of vegan buttermilk?

I don’t recommend it. That said, feel free to use any alternative milk you prefer to make your buttermilk. While I prefer soy because of its superior curdling capabilities, oat, almond or coconut milk will do just fine too.

Are these oatmeal pancakes gluten free?

While oats themselves are naturally gluten free, many large processors will roll their oats in facilities that also process wheat products. To ensure that your pancakes are gluten free, be sure to reach for certified gluten free rolled oats, like these ones from Bob’s Red Mill!

Can I substitute quick cooking or instant oats for the rolled oats?

Sure! I personally prefer the heartiness of the rolled oats, but either of those options will work just fine. I don’t recommend steel cut oats, however, as they are just too dense for this application.

More Vegan Pancake Recipes

Check out all my vegan griddle recipes for more inspiration.